Students might face 10-15 months jail terms

Students might face 10-15 months jail terms

JAKARTA (JP): Government prosecutors yesterday demanded jail
terms ranging between 10 and 15 months for six students who are
being tried for defaming President Soeharto.

Suhaimi, who is leading the prosecution team, told the Central
Jakarta District Court that the six students intentionally sought
to discredit the President when they took part in a demonstration
at the House of Representatives (DPR) last December.

"The defendants, who are supposed to be intellectuals, chose
not to use polite words in communicating with the high government
body," he said in arguing for convictions.

The prosecutors demanded that Gunardi Aswantoro and Wandi
Nicodemus Tuturong be given 15 months' imprisonment and sought 10
months jail terms for the other four: Anthony Leroy John Ratag,
Dedi Ekabrata, M, Rifki, and Mandri Sri Martiana. Mandri is the
only female in the group.

They are among the 21 students who are currently being tried
for defamation in connection with the Dec. 14 protest. The other
defendants are tried in groups of four and 11 respectively.

The maximum penalty for defaming a head of state is six years'
imprisonment.

The prosecutors said the protesters used inappropriate
language with the government and the House in communicating their
demands through their posters, banners and chants.

Suhaimi said the defendants never denied using the harsh words
during the trial, some even suggesting that it was the only way
of conveying their message.

He said witnesses presented by the prosecution also affirmed
the allegation that strong words were indeed used.

The more than 100 students who turned up at the House were
demanding that the People's Consultative Assembly hold an
emergency session to bring Soeharto to bear for the series of
violent actions used by the government in recent years.

Suhaimi urged the court to disregard the testimony of
politicians and government critics that were acting as defense
witnesses, calling it pure fabrication.

A number of politicians defended the students' actions on the
grounds that freedom of expression was guaranteed by the
constitution.

In the trial of the group of four legislator Sabam Sirait, who
was testifying for the students, used the opportunity to question
the reason for the students' arrests.

Sabam of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) said he will be
checking on the reasons why the military had been used to
apprehend the students instead of the police.

He also asked the court why his earlier testimony before the
same court had been videotaped and shown at the Armed Forces
(ABRI) headquarters.

Presiding Judge Soetrisno said the trial was open and that
there was no regulation against videotaping the proceedings as
long as it did not interfere with the trial. (par)